Flying-boat or like craft.



J. D. GOQPER. FLYING BOAT OR-LIKE CRAFTA l APPLICATION ILD APR. 1; 1913. l*

Patented-Jan. 13, 1914n 2 sums-SHEET i.

J. D. COOPER. FLYING BOAT 0R LIKE CRAFT. APPLICATION HLBID APR.1,`1913.

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Patented Jan. 13, 1914u UNITED STATES JOHN D. COOPER, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.-

FLYING-BOAT OR LIKE CRAFT.

^ Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. '13, 1914.

Application led April 1, 1913. Serial No. 758,200.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. COOPER, a citizen' of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfieldv and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying- Boats or like Craft, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hulls or bodies for craft of that kind adapted for bot-h aerial and marinal use, such as flying boats or yachts, hydroaeroplane's, etc..

.The primary object of the invention is to provide a body or hull construction which will oppose a minimum of resistance to travel in air'or water, and which adapts the vehicle -to alight upon, run along and rise from the s-'face 'of a body of water with ease and facilit A fiirther object of the invention is to provide a hull or body having a bottom planing surface of such form as to secure sta.

bility of the craft in water, a reduction `of i the shock of impact when the craft alights upon the-surface of the water, and an avoidance of suctional resistance when the craft rises from the water.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference bein had-to the accompanying drawings, in w ich Figure 1 is a side elevation ,of a combined air and water craft embodying my invention, omitting certain well known aerial fea- I tures. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the transverse sections through the body or hull on the lines 3--3, 4 4, 5 5 and. 6 6 of Fig. 1.

tapered, streamline car'o'r shell which may' be of any preferred cross-sectional contour. l Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I have show n a body which is rounded at the top and pro.- vided with straight sides and a transversely @at bottom, while, in Figs. 7 ai1d` 8 I have.

Figs. 7 and 8 are sections corre-- spending to Figs. 4 and 6 of a slightly modifin s hown a body which is rectangular in cathne and varies from an oblong rectangular to. a frusto-pyramidal form at different polnts in lts length, due to its tapering conformation. Any suitable streamline form may, however, be employed, but itis preferred to have ther-sides converge and the top slope fore and aft from a point" adjacent -to or coinciding with the line C. P. of the mean center of pressure, as shown. l

The* bottom 2 o f the body 1 is transversely flat; at all points, 4but is longitudinally curved, having an upward slope both forwardly and rearwardlyA of the center of pressure, at which point the body vis of the greated to sustain the craft in water, and when at rest, with a minimumamount of displace- -ment, and the surface 2 is made to have an ecient aerofoil action and to form a hydroplane which allows the craft to quickly gain speed Iand skim. with a minimum of resist- Aance over water and-to rise therefrom with facility. L

I provide the bottom 2 with a longitudinally extending projection 3, which is curved longitudinally to conform thereto, and is also .transversely fiat. This projection is substantially U-shaped in outline in cross section, of less width than the bottom 2, and of a longitudinally tapering outline, corresponding substantially to that of the body. The sides of said projection intersect, at Ytheir divergent forward ends, the convergat its rear end, whichfterm'inates*approxi- 'mately midway between the stern end and the point of greatest depth of the said body and projection. This projection serves as a giving sutlicientdisplacement and hold upon the water to secure stability terial degree the amount of displacement and resistance to travel over structures presenting a hydroplane surface ofthe continuous transverse type.v Furthermore, the pro-, jection 3 serves as a hydroplane surface of restricted, area on` which the craft may-rise with greater facility in launching it into the air, and it also diminishes by virtueof its shape, the shock of impact in alighting on the water, by allowing a portion of the water displaced to escape before the flat surface 2 ing ends of the sides of the body at the bow, ,-from which the projection tapers to a point same. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and 6 are verticalg comes in contact with the water. .By reason ofthe construction described channels 4.a re

est depth. By this means the body is adapt- A and prevent skidding, w-hile diminishing to a 4maalso provided along the longitudinal sides comprising a. longitudinally tapering body 'having a transversely flat bottom provided of the projection, which allow the water to have free clearance. and, as the water Howing along these channels tends by reaction t0 give a forward impulse impact against such surfaces of thc projection, increased speed is obtained.

F or the purpose of further promoting speedof travel ofthe craft in water, and also to facilitate its rise from the water, I provide air supply pipes or tubes 5 extending downward through the body. atthe bow and communicating at their lower ends with the channels 4, sald tubes or pipes having at their upper ends forwardly facing inlets 6. As the craft travels along the surface of the water air flows from the pipes along the -walls of the hydroplane surface and serves as a lubricant to diminish the skin resistance. Atthe instant of rising from the water the entering air also breaks the suctional resistance of the water to the elevation of the body therefrom, thereby adapting the craft to rise at less speed and with less/drivingI power.

I claim l. A hull forflying boats or-lilie craft comprising a body having a transversely flat bottom kprovided with a longitudinally curved, rearwardly tapering projection, of less width than said bottom and -of'varyin depth throughout, said projection being o maximum dept-h approximately in line with the mean center of lifting pressure.

2. A hull for flying boats or like craft with a vcentral longitudinally extending and longitudinally curved rearwardly tapering projection, said projection beiner of less width than said flat bottom, depth throughout and .of maximur'n depth substantially in line with the mean center of pressure and extending from the bow to a point between the mean center of pressure and the stern of the body.

3. A hull for liying boats and like craft comprising a longitudinally tapering body having a longitudinally curved, transversely fiat body of maximum depth substantially in line with the mean center of pressure., said bottom being provided wit-ha correspondingly shaped central projection of less 4width than said body and also of maximum depth in line with the mean center of pres'- sure, said projection having the divergent ends of its sides intersecting the sides ofthe bodyat the bow thereof and the-conyergent ends of its sides spaced a maximumfdistance from the sides of the body and terminating in a point. substantially midway between-the said center of pressure line and the stern end of the body. A

4. A hull for dying-boats or like craft ofJ varying Asaid bottom bein line body having a transversely fiat, longitudinally curved bottom of maximum depth substantially in line with the mean center of pressure' a.nd thence sloping upwardly toward the bow and stern, provided with a. correspondingly shaped central projectionof less width than said body and also of maximum depth in line with the mean centeruaf' pressure, said projection having Vthe divergent ends of its sides intersecting the sides f the body at the bow thereof and the convergent ends of its sides spaced a maximum distancetfrom the sides of the body and terminating in a point substantially midway between the'said center of pressure line and the stern end vof i the body.

fj. A hull'forfiying boats or like craft comprising a body having a transversely fiat bottom provided with a longitudinally curved, rearwardly tapering projection, of less width thansaid bottom and of varying depth throughout, said projection beingof maximum depth approximately in line with the mean center of lifting pressure, -and means for conductin air down through the bow end of the body beneath-'the' bottom thereof and at points between the sides ofthebody and projection` j A j x 6.-A hull 'for flyin'P boats or"lilfelcraft comprising a longltudinally ltapering body having -a transversely fiat Abottom provided with a. central longitudinally extending and longitudinally curved rearwardly tapering projection,l said projection being of less width than said flatbottom, of: varying depth throughout and -of .maximum 'depth substantially in line with the mean centerl of pressure and extending from thebow to a' point between the mean center of pressure andthe stern. ofthe body, and means for conductin air'down through the bow end of the bo y beneath the bottom Ithereof and -atpoints between the sides o f the body and projection.

7. A hull'forilyn boatsor like craft comprising a longitu inally tapering body having 'a longitudinally curved, transversely fiat body of maximum depth v.substantially in line'l with .the mean center 'of pressure',

providedy with' a correspondingly sha e central projection of less widththansai body and also of maximum depth in Iine with the mean ,center-. ofpressure, said projection having the divergent ends of its sides. intersecting the sidesA .of the body at the bow thereof and theconvergent ends of its sidesspaced a maximum distance Said body being from the sides of thel body and terminating ina point substantially midway lbetween .the said, centerofpressure line -and the stern 'end- .of thebody, and means for .conducting air down through bow` end 'ofthe bcneath the bottom 'therefand at points bef-"s tween the sides of the body and projection:

8. A hull for flying boats or like craft comprising a longitudinally tapering streamline body having a transversely flat, longitudinally curved bottom of maximum depth substantially in line with the mean center of pressure and thence slopin upwardly toward the bow and stern, sai body being provided with a correspondingly shaped central projection of less width than said body and also of maximum depth in line with the mean center of pressure, said pro- -jection having the divergent ends of its sides intersecting the sides of the bod at the bow thereof and the convergent en s of its sides spaced a maximum distance from 15.1

down through the bow end of the body be- 20 neath the bottom thereof and at points between the sides ofthe body and projection. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

,JOHN D. COOPER. Witnesses:

C. C. ToLLs'rAM, Geo. BEECH, 

